


A Place to Lay His Head

by sksdwrld



Series: Asterisk [17]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Drama, Gen, Touring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:04:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1404136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sksdwrld/pseuds/sksdwrld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the tour bus, Elliot's bunk is more than just a place to sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Place to Lay His Head

**Author's Note:**

> Only Elliot, Eddie, Mike and Daniel are mine. All others referenced are used with permission.

Elliot's bunk was a safe oasis in the midst of chaos and he retreated there often to escape from the hardships of the world, which contrary to popular opinion was more than just Eddie's reign of terror, although that was the vast majority of it. Only Ruby sought him out there, her snout deftly parting the curtains seconds before she leapt inside.

He could hunker down with his arms around her and let his hurt bleed from every pore in his body. He didn't have to speak. He didn't have to explain himself. Ruby didn't question him, push him, try to force him into an admission of guilt. She didn't shame him, blame him, or look at him with unspoken resentment. From time to time, she might whimper or whine her condolences, nudge Elliot's hand or lick his face. And when even she had had enough of Elliot's self-pity, she'd huff and hop down but sit, panting outside of the bunk until he got up a found her leash. 

The bunk was a physical barrier that Elliot could place between himself and the band. It was dark, enclosed, and reminded him of the closet he'd grown up in. It made him feel safe and gave him a place to emote away from the others. The people he wanted to but was scared of calling his friends. 

What the bunk didn't do was block out the sound. He had ear-phones for that, but even when he had them in, he didn't always have them on. Elliot was paranoid and he listened for the things people said when they thought he'd checked out. He heard their whispers as easily as the blatant statements. 

_He's hiding...again._

Yeah, it's fucked up all around, but it's his responsibility... 

I can't take any more of this shit. 

Elliot had warned them that he wasn't easy to be around. He had spoken about the dark cloud that followed him and the way that, without doing anything at all, he always seemed to hurt the people he cared about. 

The tour was messed up because of Eddie's game. His friends had gotten sucked into the mire and people were getting hurt. He didn't know what to do to stop it. 

_You have to face it._

Face what? Eddie's lies? Her assumptions? The drama that she'd created for her own personal gain? For what purpose? To what end? What did he possibly have to say? 

_Hi, I'm Elliot. I was seduced by a pretty face and a willing body in a moment of vulnerability and there's a fifty percent chance that I'm going to suffer for my mistake for all of eternity. Oh, how did I meet her? Funny you should ask. We were housemates at a rehabilitation center for the mentally defective. Yes, isn't it clear what her problem is? And what's mine, you say?_

No. There was no way in hell that Elliot could go down that route. It wasn't anybody's business and it certainly wasn't public information to be shared by a major television network. Not where Daniel could see what a complete mess he'd made of his life... 

Elliot's hands began to shake. Suddenly the air in the bunk seemed stifling, hot and stale. Within seconds it had become less comforting and more confining. He pushed Ruby away from him and rolled out, checking his pockets for his lighter: the same Zippo that Mike had give him months ago. "I'm going for a smoke," he announced to no one in particular as he grabbed his cigarettes and Ruby's leash.

He patted his thigh and then snapped his fingers. "C'mon, girl." Ruby trotted after him.


End file.
